Member and child protection

Member protection aims to provide a safe environment, free from harassment and discrimination, where responsible behaviour and fair decision making occurs, and where participants and volunteers are not put into positions that could compromise them. A member protection policy outlines how your club can meet these obligations. It is important that all clubs have a member protection policy in place.

Play by the Rules

Play by the Rules is a program run with the Australian Sports Commission and Human Rights Commission aimed at making sport inclusive, fair and safe. Play by the Rules is an interactive educational program on discrimination, harassment and child protection in sport. It provides information, resources and online training for volunteers.

The website offers a basic member protection policy and a raft of other templates your club can implement. To use the member protection policy template simply add your club’s logo, print it out, get your committee to approve and agree to implement it at a meeting, and then communicate it to your members.

Blue cards

Child protection is the responsibility of all clubs that offer activities for children. In Queensland, a Blue Card must be held by any club member who may be solely responsible for children. Blue Card Services has a Child and Youth Risk Management tool kit, which provides useful resources to ensure that children at your club are kept safe at all times.

The tool kit aims to assist clubs in providing a solid foundation for the creation and maintenance of a safe environment for children and young people. In developing a strategy for your club, it is vital to acknowledge the important and valuable contribution children and young people can offer by identifying what they consider to be threats to their safety and well-being.

For more information on Blue Cards, refer to the Queensland Government’s Blue Card website.

Clubs with Bronze level Go Clubs accreditation have access to a blue card register and Silver level Go Clubs to a child and youth risk management system template .